Don't FENCE me in!!!!!!!!!!!

ACK - I am late this morning!!!!   I went to yoga last night at 9 PM (Adam - my favourite yoga teacher) and then I couldn't sleep when I got home. So I did NOT want to get up and go to spin class this morning, but then I thought I HAVE to get my sorry butt to spin class. NO EXCUSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I'm glad I did - it was a good class. Then I had breakfast with my gym buddies and OH MY GOSH - look at the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Slowly but surely I am getting back in the groove of things. I am still working on that quilt with all the houses.

Around the Block quilt

As you know - there is a BIG alumni reunion of ALL the $10 quilt classes over the last TEN years. The date is November 30 and if you were in one of my classes - you had better book that morning off!!!!!  Of course - only a few of mine are done!!!!   I am trying to complete as many as possible and this is one of them I am trying to get done.

In the picture above, the quilt (the borders) are mostly in pieces still and it got put away for the summer. So when I brought it out the other day there was a FENCE block missing.

See - where the big arrow is - NO FENCE. CRAP - I guess I will have to make a new piece. 

I started to sew the borders together - got the first one done and it was TOO long for the quilt. This, along with the missing block are NORMALLY all show stoppers. I mean - what a pain. So I had to rip parts of that border apart - take bigger seams and shave a bit off a piece or two. It was ONE INCH too big which is TOO much to ease in. But it finaly fit.

Then I started on the second side border.

Here is the second side border partially pieced

And WAIT A MINUTE?????   What is this???????????

My missing fence piece was under a barn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

What is so funny is that part of that border fell off the wall (but NOT the barn with the missing fence behind it) and I still did not see the extra fence block!!!!!!!!!!!

The fence is now back where it belongs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But like all ACTIVE minds, I am already thinking of the NEXT project. While I have several projects already out - I was thinking of the next $10 project. Hey - I might actually be able to make a dent in some of these??????   So.........................


I dug this out.

It is a small seasonal wall hanging. WAIT A MINUTE????   I thought I already assembled this??????

As I dug deeper in the TWO boxes - look what I found................

Yep - an assembled top!!!!!!!!!   Just needs the final border. I KNEW I had already made this. Those were the days when I had a finished block and a partially assembled block to show the students. No time for that now.

 But lest you think there is a lot of work ahead of me to finish that second one - have a look...........

The top row of maple leaves is ALMOST done

The pumpkins just need some applique

And the flying geese will make a great ender/leader project   (yes - I am still working on the green/orange ender/leader - which maybe I will show you tomorrow)

Now I did say SEASONAL - and how many seasons are there?????

Yep - there are FOUR - here are the other three. 

And there they are - all works in progress - some blocks are done, some pieces are cut. It is a mess. 

This is a MAJOR problem. Who (other than mysef) would open that box and get excited to finish the project(s)?????   It would likely end up in the trash. That is why I am so trying to get projects to the stage that the tops/bindings and backings are done - then ANYONE could finish it, but a box of pieces?????   NO ONE is going to get too excited.    Actually this might be a good retreat project?????   But it is going to require some sorting and tidying so I might as well do it at home in the event something is missing. I'll keep you up to date as I work my way through it.


I happened to be on the receiving end of not ONE, but TWO people's stuff that they or their family donated to our guild. I ALWAYS cringe when someone says they have stuff to donate. What exactly do they have?????

I came home on Sunday with my car full of stuff................

Big box in the front - the rest of the stuff is mine!!!!

Back of the car - full of odds and ends

And FOUR boxes of fabric (from a different person). Lots of FRAMES

Anyway - the four boxes above were donated by the woman herself. I was leery since she wasn't a young quilter. I opened the boxes one by one and was PLEASANTLY surprised. The boxes were sorted by colour/style. UFOs (three of them) were in their own box. Everything very tidy and orderly AND the fabric was quilting cotton. YIPPEEEEEE - someone who gets it!!!!!!!!!!!!!   The boxes have all been passed to our Outreach Program where hopefully they can put it to good use.


The stuff from the other lady (it was a family member who donated it to us) - well it was a hodgepodge.

I opened up the big box and there was everything in there. 

Some quilted fabric - good for making bags

Photocopies from books

Old style patterns - PRE rotary cutting!!!!!!!!!!

Tracing from Quilter's Newsletter magazine dated 1978!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There were also cross stitch blocks (from a kit) - LOTS of them and they are all DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!   Purse handles, rulers, CARD BOARD templates and lots of other stuff that I haven't had a chance to look at yet.

The big question - what to do with this?????   Her family didn't know so they gave it to us and I ended up with it. The photocopied book - well I think we can toss that - can't sell it!!!!!  Some of the cardboard templates and old style patterns might be neat to keep as souvenirs. The fabric and cross stitch blocks can be sold (come to our upcoming quilt show for that).

Then I still have to go through the stuff in the car. It is all these frames. What to do with them????   We'll try to sell them I suppose.

BUT there is a lesson here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   It is OK to buy stuff and OK to keep it, BUT I think we have a responsibility to GET rid of it as well. Don't leave this to your kids to pick up the pieces. I know my parents have a house full of knick knacks that they have acquired.  They are so attached to it all that some day - I will have the lovely task of getting rid of it all. Oh happy day!!!!!!!!!!!!


Speaking of getting rid of stuff - I pulled out all the vinyl that I have.............

FIVE different pieces - no less!!!!!!!!!!

Two of them will be good for that quilting thing I showed you yesterday. The rest isn't thick enough and will go back in the drawer. But at least my vinyl was all together and I knew where it was. And I am trying to get rid of some of this stuff.


On that note - I have a lot to do today (and back to yoga at noon - the good stretching yoga!!!)


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!